Stoneywood-Dyce’s wait for win goes on after third loss in row

Stoneywood-Dyce’s top order batsmen failed to come to terms with a soft, seaming wicket at People’s Park as they succumbed to a third defeat on the spin.

Had it not been for a gutsy middle-order performance, the Aberdeen side might have been handed a bigger defeat than five wickets by Stewart’s Melville.

The 162 for the loss of eight wickets was a respectable enough total given the difficult batting surface, although Scott Parker, the captain of the Edinburgh side, made light of the conditions, stroking his way to a superb unbeaten 70 from 124 balls.

He was given maximum support from Riyyaan Henry whose 50 from 79 balls finally took the game away from the Aberdeen side.

Sai Sawaan Kumar’s late knock of 22 from 29 balls gave StoneywoodDyce a glimmer of hope of a victory but this was destroyed by the sensible innings of Parker who sent out a clear message that it was possible to score runs on a poor wicket.

Lennard Bester, the Stoneywood-Dyce captain, said: “This was a game of fine margins. Their captain stood up to be counted with a great knock. Our opening attack of Jon Grant and Abdullah (Khalid) gave us a fighting chance, taking five wickets, but it was not to be.” In the NE Championship, it was a day of mixed fortunes for teams from the region with Huntly showing the way with an eight-wicket win at home to Falkland 2nds.

They were inspired by captain Jack Mitchell who took six wickets for 20 from 6.3 overs, helping the Castle Park side dismiss the visitors for 90 who collapsed after being 68 for one.

Mitchell then went on to score 27, making it two out of two wins for the season but more remarkably it means Huntly have now won their last 14 games under the leadership of the former Stoneywood-Dyce player.

Mitchell said: “We have hit the ground running, continuing our good form of last season. We are very hopeful of a high placing in this league.”

Aberdeenshire endured a day to forget as the Mannofield club were dismissed for only 54 at Lochlands where Arbroath United look set on a quick return to the Eastern Premier.

In a much closer fought affair away to Kinloch, Gordonians came up 14 runs short of the 202 set them. Aman Arora was the pick of the Countesswells side, topscoring with 45 and taking two for 35.

In the Aberdeenshire Grades, title favourites Bon Accord lost their unbeaten record after being comprehensively beaten at the Links by five wickets by Master Blasters Aberdeen.

Aberdeen’s two representatives in the first round of cricket’s Scottish Cup enjoyed mixed fortunes yesterday, on a rain-affected day.

It ended in disappointment for Stoneywood-Dyce who went out of the competition after the umpires decided no play was possible, and that the tie would be decided by a bowl-out which ended in Arbroath progressing to the second round by virtue of hitting the wicket more often.

“It was a terrible way to go out of a major tournament, especially after the disappointment of losing our league game on Saturday,’’ said club captain, Ewan Davidson.

Aberdeenshire had a more positive day in the Scottish Borders, beating Gala by 64 runs, putting behind them the misery of a nine-wicket defeat in the NE Championship on Saturday.

‘’It took much of the pain of the reverse in Arbroath, while making for a happy trip back home,’’ said Shire captain David Gamblen who chipped in with an unbeaten 20 out of his side’s total of 144.

Opener Kenny Reid top-scored with 30. Gala were bowled out for 80.

Stoneywood-Dyce bowler Jon Grant.